Israelis are voting today for the new parliament, in the first elections since Hamas’ attack on October 7, 2023, and nearly three years of war.

The main challenge to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu comes from Gadi Eisenkot, the former chief of the Israeli Army’s General Staff and leader of the centrist party, Yashar.

Four Decades in the Army

Eisencot, 66, according to recent polls, was at an equal level with Netanyah in the race for forming the next government. In some polls, his party was the only most voted list. However, the Israelites do not directly elect the prime minister, and no political bloc has a secure majority of 61 deputies in Knesset.

Eisencott was born in 1960 in Tiberia, a Jewish family of Moroccan descents and labor – based origin.

He grew up in Eilat as he joined the Israeli army in 1978 as a member of the Golan Brigade. During his 41 years in uniform, he spent almost all levels of military hierarchy.

He served as commander of the Northern Command, deputy chief of the General Staff and military secretary of the two prime ministers. Netanyah selected him in 2014 to head the General Staff, which Eisencots held between 2015 and 2019.

Author of a controversial military doctrine

Eisencot is not a pacifist candidate and does not represent a radical change in Israeli security policy. His name relates to the so – called Dahiya doctrine, which he publicly formulated in 2008 after his war with Hezbollah in Lebanon.

At that time, he declared that Israel would use unproportional forces against areas from which his territory was attacked, causing great damage and destruction. From our point of view, these are not civilian villages, but military bases, he had declared.

In these elections, Eisencot is represented as a more moderate alternative to Netanyah, mainly to the way government is governed, the report with institutions and responsibility for the events of October 7th, not as a politician aiming to significantly soften Israeli security policy.

He joined Netanyah’s war cabinet but then left

Eisencott entered politics in 2022, under the alliance with Benny Gantz. Following Hamas’ attack on October 7th of the following year, he joined Netanyah’s war cabinet and participated in the most important decisions during the Gaza war.

Eight months later, he left the cabinet along with Gantz. He accused Netanyah of having no clear strategic plan for ending the war and of presenting military tactical successes as a replacement for a political strategy.

Eisencott rejected Netanyah’s promise of a full victory over Hamas, considering it an unrealistic goal. Instead, he gave priority to the return of Israeli hostages. However, it continues to take a hard stance on national security issues, and considers Iran the biggest strategic threat to Israel.

His son and two grandchildren died in Gaza

The war has touched Eisenko himself. His 25-year-old son, Gal Meir Eisencott, a member of the reserve forces, was killed in Gaza in December 2023. His two grandchildren lost their lives in combat.

After his son’s death, Eisencott remained in the war cabinet for several months. Personal loss became an important part of his public image, in a country where political debates in recent years have been dominated by war and the October 7th attack, writes cn.

In 2025, he left the alliance with Gantz and founded the Yashar party, which in Hebrew means fair ʹi, fair ʹi, or correct.

The party is positioned in the political centre and builds the campaign around security, the functioning of state institutions and responsibility for failures that defeated Hamas’s attack.

One of Eisenkot’s key promises is to establish an independent state commission to investigate events before 7 October and actions of political and military leadership following the attack. Netanyahu has so far opposed such an investigation.

Do not support the creation of a Palestinian state

One of the main election issues is military service. Eisencos requires that the obligation for military or national service be applied to all citizens, including ultraorthodox Jews, who for decades have benefited from widespread exemptions.

It is on this issue that his bloc is markedly different from the Netanyuah coalition, which depends on ultraorthodox Shas parties and the Torah’s United Judaism. Eisencott presents military service as a matter of security but also of the equality of citizens before the state.

However, the change of prime minister would not necessarily imply a major change in Israeli policy towards Palestinians. After 7 October, Eisenkot said the creation of a Palestinian state does not currently constitute a real possibility.

His party supports a strong Israel and regional agreement reached by a military and economic force position. Eisencot is more critical than the Netanyah government against the violence of Israeli settlers in the West Coast, but does not appear to be a supporter of the quick resumption of negotiations for two-state resolution.

He may win more mandates, but not become prime minister

Recent polls have shown Yashhar could become the largest party in the new Knessetin, with about 22 mandates, some more or approximately the same Likud of Netanyah. However, to take power, Eisenkot needs the mandates of his entire political bloc, not only the result of his party.

In addition to Yashhar, the list of Naphtali Bennett and Yair Lapidi, Avigdor Lieberman’s party and the Democrats of Yair Golan are included in the opposing bloc of Netanyah.

According to most polls, even these parties combined do not reach the necessary majority of 61 mandates without additional support.

For this reason, Arab parties could become crucial, as recent polls were projected in all 12 to 15 mandates. Co-operation with them is politically sensitive, and some of Eisenko’s potential partners oppose it.

If after the vote no bloc secures the majority, negotiations on forming the new government could last for weeks. During this period Netanyah would continue to stand at the head of the government in office. /Telegraphy/